ISambulo 18

18 ¹Emva kwalokhu ngabona enye ingelosi yehla ivela ezulwini, iphethe igunya elikhulu; umhlaba wakhanyiswa yinkazimulo yayo. ²Yamemeza ngezwi elikhulu: “Liwile, liwile—iBabiloni elikhulu! Seliphenduke likhaya lamademoni, isikhoselo sayo yonke imimoya engcolile, isikhoselo sazo zonke izinyoni ezingcolile, isikhoselo sazo zonke izilwane ezingcolile, ezizondekayo. ³Ngokuba zonke izizwe ziliphuzile iwayini lenkanuko yobufebe bayo; amakhosi omhlaba enza ubufebe nayo, nabathengisi bomhlaba sebenothile ngamandla obukhazikhazi bayo.”

⁴Ngabe sengizwa elinye izwi livela ezulwini: “Phumani kuyo, bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli ezonweni zayo nokuba ningamukeli izinhlupho zayo;

⁵ngokuba izono zayo ziqwebele zaze zafika ezulwini, futhi uBaba wethu uwakhumbulile amacala ayo. ⁶Mbuyiseleni njengoba naye ebuyiselile, nimbuyisele ngokuphindwe kabili ngalokho akwenzile; enkomishini ayixubile, mxubeleni isabelo esiphindwe kabili. ⁷Njengoba azikhazimulisa waphila ngobukhazikhazi, mnikeni isilinganiso esifanayo sobuhlungu nosizi; ngokuba enhliziyweni yakhe uthi, ‘Ngihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi njengendlovukazi; angisona umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngabona usizi.’ ⁸Ngenxa yalokhu izinhlupho zayo ziyakufika ngasuku lunye—ukufa nosizi nendlala— futhi iyakushiswa ngomlilo; ngokuba unamandla uBaba wethu, oyahlulele.”

⁹Amakhosi omhlaba enza ubufebe futhi ahlanganyela ubukhazikhazi nayo ayakuyikhalela ayililele, ebona intuthu yokusha kwayo. ¹⁰Emi kude, esaba ubuhlungu bayo, athi: “Maye, maye, muzi omkhulu, Babiloni, muzi onamandla! Ngehora elilodwa kufike ukwahlulelwa kwakho.” ¹¹Abathengisi bomhlaba bayayikhalela bayililela, ngokuba akusekho muntu othenga impahla yabo. ¹²Impahla yegolide, nesiliva, namatshe ayigugu, namaparele, nelineni elicolekileyo, nendwangu eyibubende, nosilika, nendwangu ebomvu; nazo zonke izinkuni ezinuka kamnandi, nazo zonke izimpahla zophondo lwendlovu, nezingodo eziyigugu, nethusi, nensimbi, nemabula. ¹³nekhinamoni, neziyoliso, nempepho, nemure, nenhlaka, newayini, namafutha omnqumo, nofulawa ocolekileyo, nokolweni, nezinkomo, nezimvu, namahhashi, nezinqola, nemizimba yabantu nemiphefumulo yabantu.

¹⁴“Izithelo ezivuthiwe umphefumulo wakho obuzilangazelela sezimukile kuwe; yonke ingcebo yakho nobukhazikhazi sekulahlekile, akusayikubuye kutholakale.” ¹⁵Abathengisi balezi zinto abanotha ngayo bayakuma kude, besaba ubuhlungu bayo, bekhala belila, ¹⁶bememeza bethi: “Usizi, usizi phezu komuzi omkhulu, obugqoke ilineni elicolekileyo, nendwangu eyibubende, nebomvu, ohlotshiswe ngegolide, namatshe ayigugu, namaparele! Ngehora elilodwa yonke le ngcebo ichithekile.” ¹⁷Bonke abaphathi bemikhumbi, nabo bonke abahamba ngolwandle, namatilosi, nabo bonke abaphila ngolwandle bema kude, ¹⁸bamemeza bebona intuthu yokusha kwayo, bethi: “Yimuphi umuzi owawufana nomuzi omkhulu na?” ¹⁹Baphonsa uthuli emakhanda abo, bamemeza bekhala belila, bethi: “Maye, maye kumuzi omkhulu, lapho bonke abanemikhumbi olwandle banotha khona ngengcebo yawo! Ngehora elilodwa uchithekile.” ²⁰Jabulani ngayo, nina mazulu, nani bangcwele nabaphostoli nabaprofethi! Ngokuba uBaba wethu usahlulele icala lenu ngayo.

²¹Ingelosi enamandla yaphonsa itshe elinjengetshe elikhulu lokugaya olwandle, ithi: “Kanjalo iBabiloni, umuzi omkhulu, uyakuphonswa phansi ngodlame, ungabe usatholakala. ²²Umsindo wabashayi bamahabhu nabahlabeleli, nowabashayi bemitshingo nabashayi bamacilongo, awusayikuphinde uzwakale kuwe. Akuyikuphinde kutholakale kuwe noma yimuphi umsebenzi wobungcweti. Umsindo wetshe lokugaya awusayikuphinde uzwakale kuwe. ²³Ukukhanya kwesibani akusayikuphinde kukhanye kuwe. Izwi lomkhwenyana nelomakoti alisayikuphinde lizwakale kuwe. Ngokuba abathengisi bakho babengabakhulu bomhlaba, futhi zonke izizwe zakhohliswa ngobuthakathi bakho. ²⁴Kuyo kwatholakala igazi labaprofethi nelabangcwele, nelabo bonke ababulawayo emhlabeni.”